It’s become common today in policymaking circles to talk about the incredibly wide-ranging effects that cleaner energy production would have on our nation’s policies. From foreign policy in the Middle East to environmental implications at home, and aboard, a fundamental change in our energy policy could positively impact our nation in many ways. However one of the ways that is often left out of that discussion is the incredible boon to America’s middle class that would accompany an energy policy transformation in this country.

http://www.apolloalliance.org/ is the main site of the Apollo Program – am impressive coalition of politicians, labor leaders, environmentalists, business leaders and foundations (http://www.apolloalliance.org/about_the_alliance/index.cfm) built up to get our government and country to launch a modern Apollo Program; except this time instead of going to the moon, it will be creating more abundant, cleaner sources of energy. Instead of just focusing on the traditionally assumed benefits of energy policy changes, the Apollo Program also demonstrates how a massive investment in our energy policy would dramatically lift up the American middle class.

Such an investment and improvement in our energy infrastructure would create hundreds of thousands of new jobs. These jobs would be of a skilled, mechanical nature and could replace many skilled manufacturing jobs that have moved abroad in recent years. The Apollo Alliance shows that an investment many people think is worth it for non-economic reasons would also provides good job opportunities for American workers.